The present invention relates generally to holders for accommodating telephone handsets used with land mobile radios or radio car telephones and, in particular, to a holder with a floating base which will accommodate the insertion and removal of a radio telephone handset through a sliding interlocking joint, the holder capable of being mounted to any surface.
Generally the prior art does not provide for the adequate retention of a radio telephone handset in a holder apparatus due to the various and continual vibrations which frequently occur as a result of the normal operation of the vehicle in which the radio telephone communication unit has been installed.
Similarly, the prior art does not provide a holder for a radio telephone handset which can be mounted to a multiplicity of surfaces within a user environment which dictates the need for versatile mounting approaches, while at the same time providing a holder which will adequately, yet simply, facilitate the securing of the handset when not in use by the operator. The approaches of the prior art are cumbersome in operation and require more physical space to facilitate mounting than is generally available within the user environment.
The known devices provide only for a one-way insertion of the mobile telephone handset and generally maintain the handset in a secure position by using spring-loaded clips or similar spring devices, which provide the holding force to the handset. Over time these parts quickly wear out and require replacement. Additionally, the prior art mounting arrangements, when attached to the available surface, generally work only in a vertical position.
The common disadvantage relating to all of the foregoing devices involves the relatively high cost, mounting complexity, and poor performance of the various types of apparatus which are utilized to secure a radio telephone handset once it is inserted in a holder apparatus in a manner consistent with the requirements of the operator.